A fastening device of this type is characterized in that it must absorb comparatively great relative movements between the respective component on the exhaust end and the respective member on the vehicle end in the longitudinal direction of the exhaust system and therefore must have a corresponding elasticity. Such relative movements occur due to thermal expansion effects caused by the heating of the exhaust system during operation of the vehicle. To this end, such a fastening device may have one component leg which is fixedly mounted on the respective component in the installed state and one member leg that is fixedly mounted on the respective member in the installed state. The two legs can then be attached to one another by means of a coupling body, so that they are spaced a distance apart in the connection direction. The legs are made of sheet metal, thus yielding the desired elasticity of the fastening device in the direction of the connection, which is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the exhaust system.
It has been found that fatigue develops in such a fastening device comparatively rapidly because of the loads acting on it during operation and is therefore damaged and ultimately destroyed.